DANB Certified Dental Assistant
Go to the official page ↗Direct official link
What you'll learn
You take three component exams together, covering chairside dental assisting, radiation health and safety for dental imaging, and infection control, 245 questions in all, to earn the CDA credential.
- General Chairside Assisting (GC)
- Radiation Health and Safety (RHS)
- Infection Control (ICE)
Source: the provider's official page ↗
Is this right for you?
- Level
- Intermediate People with some experience who want to go further or prove what they know.
- What you get
- A certification employers can verify, made for the top of your résumé and your LinkedIn profile.
- How you learn
- Online, self paced, about 195 min.
- How to use it
- Put it at the top of your résumé and under Licenses and certifications on LinkedIn, with the verification link so hirers can confirm it in seconds. Name it in every application that uses this skill, and send it straight to recruiters and hiring managers.
- Why it's worth it
- Accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). Source ↗
What you will pay$450Upfront cost. Full details below.Renewal costs money too. See Renewal below.
- Time
- 245 questions, 195 minutes test time, 60 day testing window; preparation varies.
- Before you start
- Pathway I: graduate of a CODA accredited dental assisting or dental hygiene program; Pathway II: high school graduation or equivalent plus at least 3,500 hours of approved work experience; Pathway III: former DANB CDA status, or DDS/DMD or other qualifying dental education. Every pathway requires current hands on CPR, BLS or ACLS from a DANB accepted provider.
- How you are tested
- Test center.
- Renewal
- Must be renewed annually: earn continuing education, maintain CPR, and pay the renewal fee (CE hours and fee amount not shown on the renew page).
- Full cost details
- Exam fee not shown on the DANB CDA exam page loaded Oct 13, 2026 (DANB's fee page failed to load). The earlier $450 figure is unconfirmed and matches the DALE Foundation CDA Exam Prep Bundle price, so it may have been a mix up. Education and CPR extra; annual renewal fee (amount not shown).
- Where it applies
- United States; permitted duties vary by state
Jobs asking for this
See live job postings that mention DANB Certified Dental Assistant.
Open to work?Join the free Open to Work list so hirers looking for this credential can find you. No phone number needed.
Join the listChecked at the source Oct 13, 2026
Sources and what we verified
DANB CDA exam page: RHS + ICE + GC, 245 questions, 195 minutes, pathways, CPR ↗DANB renew certification: annual renewal, CE, CPR, fee ↗State duty requirements ↗What we verified: Rechecked Oct 13, 2026. Exam structure, pathways and annual renewal confirmed; exam fee could not be confirmed on any DANB page that loaded, so the $450 claim was removed. State requirements page not reloaded today.
Fees and eligibility can change. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you pay.
Also listed for: AI for Dental Assistants